PDEA: CIDG Batangas drug operation aboveboard

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines  – The head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Calabarzon has affirmed that the drug operation against a 25-year-old suspect by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of Region 4A last Friday was legitimate.

In an interview with The STAR, Emerson Margate, regional director of PDEA-4A, said the CIDG-Batangas team led by Senior Inspector Francis Aldrich Garcia coordinated with them before conducting the operation in Sto. Tomas, Batangas that led to the arrest of Ma. Christina Rodriguez, a resident of Pasay City.

“The CIDG team has the right to conduct a drug operation even without the presence of PDEA members,” Margate said.

Margate, however, said the CIDG-Batangas team did not submit a report after the operation. He added that Rodriguez is not in PDEA’s watch list.

Criminal and administrative cases have been filed against six members of the CIDG-Batangas team along with a Cavite policeman over the alleged kidnapping and illegal detention of Rodriguez.

Calabarzon police director Chief Superintendent James Melad said SPO3 Emmanuel Rabe, SPO2 Apollo Marasigan, SPO1 Maximo Catedrilla Jr., SPO1 Donnabelle Campos, PO2 Jose Wally Banaag and PO2 Jeffrey Malibiran of the Batangas-CIDG and PO1 Novel Calo of the Silang, Cavite police, were charged with kidnapping, robbery, extortion, and illegal detention last Saturday.

Celso Fernandez, a certain Athan and Jimmy and two John Does were also charged with the Batangas City prosecutor’s office.

Senior Superintendent Bernabe Balba, CIDG Region 4A chief insisted that there was nothing irregular in the arrest of Rodriguez, as he denied kidnapping her and extorting P1-million from her family.